Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 816

816. Competition

Wizards are said to be cool-headed planners. They fight with their heads, calculating and ultimately overpowering their opponents.
For wizards, excitement is distant, and coolness is close.
The man in the black hat was a wizard. His appearance hadn’t changed at all since Esther knew him.
Therefore, he must have lived a very long time.
Blue veins were visible on the wizard’s face. This was likely due to the accelerated blood flow caused by excitement.
Conversely, Encred stabbed the floor with the tip of his sword, the sky-blue sword he called Dawn, and simply stared at his opponent with indifferent eyes.
Their contrasting gazes met.
The wizard in the black hat was consumed by rage, yet he remained confident. It was rage concealed by reason. Now was not the time to act on whims.
But was it right to let them off without saying a word?

‘Ignorance is a sin.’

It’s a common saying among those who wield magical powers.
It’s a world entirely different from the thoughts of ordinary people.

‘If you don’t know, you will suffer as you don’t know.’

They are ignorant, and therefore sinners.
So, wouldn’t a light slap along with a few harsh words be enough?

* * *

Encred looked at his opponent with indifferent eyes and thought.

‘Rem’s reaction speed has become faster.’

The sparring from just a moment ago vividly lingers in my mind. The explosive strength of the stomping technique, the heart of monstrous strength, the demonstration of various magical skills, such as the cutting of giants.

‘The axe that was extended in the process.’

It was faster than the flash of lightning that had once been called that. It was lightning, faster than the sound of ripping air, leaving behind only a blurry afterimage.
To those who didn’t know, or those with less skill, they would say it was the same as before. They couldn’t discern it.
But for Encred and Rem, it was different.

‘A little difference.’

That little gap, so called, can determine victory or defeat, life or death. How could it be any faster?

‘It’s the optimization of movement.’

After making all movements extremely short, he unleashed explosive power when swinging the axe.

Condensation and explosion.

Ultimately, it was a matter of utilizing Will. It’s amazing how someone can control their body solely through instinct and intuition, but
a knight of this caliber can do this just by watching. Even Encred, who was once criticized for lacking talent, can now imitate him in a day or two.
Becoming a knight gave him strength, agility, and athletic ability far beyond that of ordinary people.
Of course, he’d have to train all day, but that wasn’t difficult for Encred.
In any case, the point here is to utilize Will.

‘It’s Indules.’

For a moment, Will’s nature must have shifted, swirling around Rem’s body. Strictly speaking, he wasn’t Will, but rather, using his magical powers. But didn’t Esther say the source was the same?

‘Like a bolt from the sky.’

Will, or sorcery, whatever you call it, Rem summoned the power of lightning and wielded it.
How did she do it?
She must have used her special ability, a psychic ability. She summoned one of the eight gods who protect the West. This wasn’t achieved through training, but through sorcery, drawing on their experiences.

“If I fight with my life on the line, I’m the best.”

This is a phrase that Rem always uses. Even if the source is the same, the outcome depends on how that power is harnessed.
There’s a single stick.
Some might tie a fishing line to it and catch a fish, while others might use that same stick to commit robbery.

‘Another person could put a jewel on that stick and declare himself king.’

Imagine, there’s no end to it. Encred knew his thoughts were running wild, but he let them.
Uncontrolled imagination sometimes expands the vessel, breaking free from the boundaries he’d unconsciously drawn. It broadens his concepts and allows him to see things from new perspectives.
The day was remarkably bright. The sunlight was warm, almost scorching, and the earth on the training ground was parched, radiating heat.
Clouds drifted in clumps, and the sky was a brilliant blue.
The sunlight separated Encred and the man in the black hat. One side was bathed in the bright sunlight, while the other seemed to be enveloped by dark clouds. Nothing had actually happened, but that was the atmosphere.

“It’s a nice day, but I’m thirsty.”

Rem muttered. Encred was just as excited as Rem. She
‘d been determined to recover the moment she’d arrived at the Border Guard, and now was the time. ”
Thump,” Encred said, lifting the dawn he’d planted in the ground as if drawing it forward.

“stop.”

Then the gray-haired savage spoke.

“Hey, don’t do that.”

The golden-eyed Suin also speaks.

“It smells.”

The man in the black hat hadn’t said anything yet. He was just about to use his magic to warn them.
Then, just as his mind was aroused and he was about to summon his magic, all three of them spoke up. It was as if they had anticipated his magic.

‘Does the feeling feel that good?’

There are those guys sometimes. Those who are strangely sensitive to the topic of swordsmanship.
Are there three of them?
Esther said, looking at her opponent.

“Wouldn’t it be better to say what you want to say first?”

Those words sounded like he was saying that if he got caught, he would bury everything here, no matter what his purpose was.

‘How dare you.’

How many people could do that to themselves? Could
the idiots of the continent, not even the Demon Realm, do that?

“If I wanted to, I could kill half of you with a wave of my hand.”

The man spoke, and the man wielding the greatsword entered a combat stance.
The sword’s owner tensed every muscle in his body. Tension often serves as a powerful weapon. He knew that.
The two humans and one beast before him held their composure, but if they hesitated, they would fight.
It was his instinct telling him so. More than anything, it was a warning from the other self, radiating heat, nestled within his heart.
The man who emerged from the upper reaches of Rengadis couldn’t understand what was happening.
He merely observed them and then slowly retreated.
He hadn’t come with them in the first place. He had been content to only engage in peaceful dialogue and make suggestions.
The man in the black hat lifted the brim that had been obscuring his eyes.
His eyes had become pitch black, devoid of any whites.

“Take just one eye. The one-eyed man’s wish will be granted.”

He said. Esther was a little impressed, but not in a good way.

‘There’s no progress.’

To her, he was a familiar face. The patterns and flow of magical energy, the process of invoking the spell, and even the ignition words were all the same.
Esther, too, was a genius. Her opponent could never have imagined it, but she hadn’t forgotten the magical patterns she’d experienced.
She had cast one of her golden-word spells: a curse that made bugs burst out of her eyes.

“refusal.”

Esther used her magic to break the curse. She wasn’t the only one who reacted.

“Get out of here, you punk.”

Rem spoke and raised her axe vertically. The intangible mass of curse, composed of magical energy, shattered before him.
Dunbakel was stung by the foul stench. She stood behind Rem.

“Who told you to hide behind me? Where did you learn all the bad things? You’re going to have to get rid of that lazy attitude you picked up in the East later.”
“Well, while we’re at it, let’s stop it together. You keep nagging me.”
“You little punk, you talking back?”

The two grumbled. The other man seemed to be indifferent.
The black-hatted wizard’s mouth was half-open.

‘What is this?’

Breaking a curse? And so easily?
Encred didn’t even protest. He had considerable experience dealing with various spells. He
had been training with Esther tirelessly. Through that process, he had learned that most curses were ineffective against him.
He knew he didn’t need to rely on intuition to block them.
Esther hadn’t brought them here for nothing. They weren’t a threat. Dealing with them alone would be a struggle, though.

‘If it’s Enki.’

They’re people I can deal with on my own without any problems.
They’re also a nuisance, likely to cause trouble within the city if left alone.
And then, there could be injuries or even deaths.
Esther, thinking this far, felt a strange sense of unease.

‘Am I worried about people?’

Or perhaps it’s a matter of cherishing.
This city, the Border Guard, and everyone else have become a part of Esther’s life. The child who dreamed of stars knew only magic and lived a life exploring spells, but she has come to appreciate the preciousness of humanity.

‘Protect your back.’

Now, her heart pounded with the meaning of those words.
She hoped the soldier wouldn’t die from pointless rebellion. His name was Marco, the lover of a member of her unit, and his dream was to become a squire of the Mad Knights.

‘Is all this unnecessary information?’

That’s right. My head says so. It’s completely irrelevant to someone who explores and studies magic.
No. My heart says otherwise.
Can someone who doesn’t know how to live pursue the truth?

‘does not exist.’

Esther suddenly sank into herself, gathering her thoughts. Encred watched her.
The man with the blackened eyes was a wizard, and the woman he knew was also a spellcaster known as a witch.
But that woman’s blue eyes were incomparably clearer than those of the one who had been scheming before him.
They were like a lake of purity, untainted by the world’s filth.

“So why did you come?”

Encred asked. The man in the black hat was a servant, a messenger who had to deliver the message. He was in a position where he could not abandon such a duty.

“Why did you come here? I came because I wanted to get rid of it.”
“It smells so bad. Can’t you just beat it up a bit to get rid of the smell?”

Right next to me, a savage and a beastman each say a word.

‘Should we really just leave them alone?’

The wizard had to regain his composure once more, and a sigh escaped his lips.
And does the smell go away just because you’re a fan? That beastman wasn’t just crazy, he was clearly overly crazy.

“Did you kill Balrog?”

Encred told the truth to anyone who asked, but he never spread rumors. It wasn’t something a stranger would come up to and ask about.
Encred waited quietly, as if to beg her to finish.

“He was truly an unusual being. He possessed the ability to establish his own domain in the Demon Realm, yet he wandered about. Well, that’s a separate story. It was thanks to that that my master became interested in you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a man from the top of the Rengardis stepped in, wiping away sweat.

“My master’s conditions won’t be bad either.”

Before Encred could answer, the man with the greatsword opened his mouth.

“My master, too. But I personally need to confirm your true abilities.”

No, he didn’t just open his mouth. He swung his greatsword alongside his words. Swinging the sword came before taking a step. The greatsword he swung landed on Encred’s head.
Before any of this could happen, his knees flexed slightly, and that slight movement narrowed the space
between him and the man with the greatsword. Encred could hear the words, but he needed three steps closer to touch the sword. In an instant, that distance narrowed.
Encred lifted the dawn. Neither the man in the black hat nor the man emerging from the top of Rengardis noticed what happened next.
To be precise, they couldn’t see the process, but they did see the result.

Liar-

It sounded like a large drum exploding under pressure. It was accompanied by that sound.

“right.”

The man with the greatsword struck the ground. There was a thud, a sound like it hit the ground.
At the same time, his back arched forward. Encred’s fist somehow landed on his stomach and then fell. With that
single blow, he collapsed forward. He dropped his sword, placed both hands on the ground, and with a whoosh, a gushing stream of blood.
The result alone caused both men’s eyes to widen.
The mage’s dark eyes had returned to those of an ordinary person. And the merchant from Rengardis began the contest first.

“I promise you eternal life, eternal life.”

The wizard snorted.

“Eternal life and such.”

Encred didn’t understand what they were saying.
Then, a blazing heat rose from the man’s back, and a mouth-like shape appeared above it, speaking.

“I will give you land.”

Rem watched and said, picking his ear.

“What are you talking about, you crazy things?”